Slam Dunk: The Greatest Sports Manga You Have to Read

PATREON - / mugenbop
I hate sports, and I never thought that might change. But then I read Slam Dunk, and I want to show you how it changed Japan’s culture of manga and sports but also how it showcases basketball as no other sports manga can.
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Twitter 🐤 - / mugenbop
Outro Song by Five V - • Guts Theme - Berserk L...
Timestamps:
Intro: 00:00 - 2:15
Act 1 Impact of The Dunk: 02:16 - 08:02
Act 2 Basketball in Motion: 08:03 - 14:28
Act 3 Passion: 14:29 - 18:25
Outro: 18:26 - 20:13
#slamdunk #thefirstslamdunk #manga

[@FinalSomow]

LMAO you don't know how hyped I was when you finally made a shot haha!

[@mugenbop]

Bro my legs kill after that 🤣

[@geraldlamsenambasan292]

@@mugenbop Hello Sir, I just want to ask what the title of the melody played in 14:28, I've been searching for it

[@156TerraceSt]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZqZp5pvhc2GapI

[@MahoroAndou]

The two players from the Japanese FIBA team recreated the epic high five from near the end of the manga after they beat Finland. Amazing.

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

Great summary. I remember when I was young sometimes watching basketball matches on tv (in Europe, where it is not a huge deal as in the US), but it was after getting into Slam Dunk that I felt motivated to start playing the game, especially since it showed a rather realistic take on the game, with characters feeling like real people playing real matches. Watching Hyuga from Captain Tsubasa making holes in walls with his tiger shoot was dumb fun, but watching Sakuragi practicing the jump-shot actually made me take the ball, going to the court and practice to try to use it during high school matches. Funny enough, after watching The First Slam Dunk movie in theatres last summer, I had to pick up the ball again and hit the nearby court after almost 20 years since last playing.

[@mugenbop]

That’s really cool, I am quite curious about the history of Tsubasa and it’s legacy

[@VSarquiza]

Slam dunk was the reason why I got interested in playing basketball and collecting shoes! This is really my all time favorite Anime/Manga 😂😂😂

[@turtleanton6539]

So cool😮

[@harper445]

Holy shit this man mugen deserves more views. This video is masterfully edited and overall incredible 💪

[@mugenbop]

thanks my guy :)

[@harper445]

@@mugenbop np bro

[@maxojavierrojasurzua5746]

Both. The anime and manga are a huge part of my life, of course I don't play basketball but this series change my life in so many ways. Thanks, Takehiko Inoue. 🏀

[@user-sh3fl3zf1r]

not only is it one of the best sports manga of all time, it's just one of the best. period. so much so, that in korea, where reading manga instead of studying is heavily frowned upon, my teacher saw that i was reading slam dunk, and he said, yea, that one's pretty cool, go ahead and read it

[@mugenbop]

Hell yeah that’s sick as :)

[@anamarf]

The Artwork! It's the Artwork man!!! That's what made me fall in love with the series! It's just gorgeous~~ ...that and seeing the parallels to some more "modern" sports manga is so funny XD

[@ElusiveRonin]

great video man slam dunk is one of my favorites of all time glad to know that you enjoyed it as well

[@Nicsviews]

how the hell do you not have more subs? This video is just perfect with its editing and pacing. Fantastic job

[@SOA_yt]

The best thing about Slam Dunk is that you don’t have to be into basketball or sports to love it. I myself hesitated a lot before giving it a chance, just because of the barrier of “basketball” that I had zero interest in. There is a lot of comedy to keep you reading even if you are still not into the sport by the 50th chapter. It’s a work that also shows Inoue’s immaturity, experiences and perspectives in life. His works after (Vagabond and Real) express completely different tones. So I’m also kind of glad that it came at a time when he was still a bit more young and immature. Have you watched the movie? I agree with people who say it’s more like Real than Slam Dunk. You can sense how much Inoue has matured as a writer but also as a person. I mean he’s in his 50s after all. But anyway it’s amazing. I watched it 30+ times in theater, once in Korea. Also, fun fact if you didn’t know this yet, Mitsui was originally just a side character delinquent and wasn’t supposed to join the team. But Takehiko said that Mitsui told him that he used to play basketball too, so Takehiko changed his storyline. Honestly he’s probably the only one who has a backstory among the main five. His role is speculated to have gone to Yohei originally. It’s something I love about Takehiko as an author. He said in an interview that the characters are still alive inside him, they continue to live in his mind. Sometimes he would think ‘oh this character would do this or say this etc etc’ then he would jot it down, not because he plans to release these little tidbits to the public, but purely for his personal interest. It makes me feel like the characters are also still alive somewhere. If you watched the video of him drawing “10 Days Later” on school chalkboards, you can feel his love for the characters, especially Sakuragi. This is why, despite objectively thinking that overall Vagabond and Real are much better works, Slam Dunk is still my personal favorite among his works.

[@TokyoBalletReprise]

Fantastic video!

[@gregorydavidson2744]

This video is really well edited

[@kartikeyamalik5488]

man i love your videos, they're wonderfully edited

[@mugenbop]

Thanks man it’s the hardest thing to improve 🫢

[@kartikeyamalik5488]

@Mugen I hope you get more subs, you deserve it ❤️

[@Riku-n-Sora]

You made me want to read Slam Dunk all over again. Great video editing btw!

[@mugenbop]

Amazing I’m glad I encapsulated its spirit :)

[@stepbro7341]

Glad you liked the Slam-Dunk manga and the 3 pointer was hype . I hope you can try reading music manga like "me and the devil blues" or "Beck"

[@mugenbop]

Beck is on the list, the other I will check out :)

[@BKDON_]

Mugen ur vids are great keep it up man

[@thomashettinga7374]

That’s awesome man! I love basketball and when I was a kid. I actually got a college offer for it but I decided to do my education instead. If you want to start basketball, don’t start with things like threes, Try going Really close to the basket and hitting the ball against the backboard so it goes in. If you practice that enough you can start doing things like layups, which is the primary move in basketball.

[@whocares8576]

Honestly my development was literally just copying other people. NBA players, peers, friends, anyone who was better than me. Also having a solid jump shot is really important, not to mention the rules.

[@alouachachraf]

Takihikino is a chill genius

[@flashjohnstone]

Love your take on the film. I love basketball, love Slam Dunk, it's a great story. I love the way TFSD captures the spirit of the sport, and how it shows how it could help you get through hard times. The First Slam Dunk is a masterpiece.

[@mugenbop]

Glad you liked the vid but haven’t seen the movie :)

[@flashjohnstone]

@@mugenbop the movie is awesome, hope you see it soon.

[@shurikentuna]

I hope your channel gets the recognition it deserves. You got quality content. Keep it up.

[@mugenbop]

I appreciate that, thanks :)

[@mikewill-do2ze]

if you loved slam dunk yu should also give inoue's third major work, Real, a try. it is also a bit of a sports series but deals with a lot of mature themes and is still ongoing

[@mikewill-do2ze]

it also focuses on (wheelchair) basketball too and it's easily a 10

[@caaarming]

great content u have here!!

[@mugenbop]

Thanks for coming sir :)

[@angelserenade]

Slam Dunk anime has been repeatedly shown here in the Philippines almost EVERY year, and the anticipation of every match never fades. It's like you're watching a real match. This is a great summary about the beauty of this manga/anime. It's like with Hajime no Ippo, both mangaka created these respective mangas as a love letter to the sport they really loved. But there is one aspect that makes Slam Dunk a great sports anime - music. The soundtrack of the anime is timeless. You can listen on it anytime and just feel good❤

[@HrldDC]

Great video, you just gained a subscriber! Very clear and I'm entertained until the end. Keep it up!!

[@mugenbop]

glad to have you :)

[@zombiefriend]

0:44 I feel like I've been called out lol Another really good video. Keep them coming please

[@mugenbop]

Will do :)

[@posteador]

Fantastic review. I'm all the way from Chile and first saw this anime back when I was in school, it blew other animes out of the water for me at the time, when the Anime finished abruptly I got into the manga to follow up on the rest of it and see it through till the end... and yes, I even tried my hand at basketball. Did terrible, but nowhere nearly as bad as you did if this youtube clip is anything to go by! 😁 But always loved how developed all the characters were, even the opponents had stories that made you care for them. Sakuragi in particular is a great fun character to use as an introduction to the sport, the overconfident idiot is a classic trope that works well every time. But he is funny and somehow lovable as a character as well, you want to root for him. Anyway great review. Saludos.

[@PaqitaHaibara]

Nice video dude! I just caught up to Slam Dunk Manga, as I watched the First Slam Dunk Movie. It belongs to my favorite manga now. I can recommend you to read Takehiko Inoue another work "Real". And if you have time a video about that is also nice 🙈

[@Limited_Film_Works_]

Good video, Mugen!

[@mugenbop]

Thanks man :3

This video is awesome

[@ryanfebrianto8973]

As usual, mugen create a great presentation for his pitch. Speaking about "pitch". Let's talk about baseball, the most popular sport in Japan. Knowing that this time is the peak performance of Shohei Ohtani. I think it is the right time for y'all to read the manga called Rookies. So to make it simple, imagine a group of misfits like Sakuragi who lose their interest to baseball and then there was a coach who had similar vibe like Ted lasso who push them to persue them to chase the Koshien ( Japanese field of dreams)

[@thomasffrench3639]

What is crazy is how manga is such an accessible and popular medium that sports was like the biggest genre of the Shonen demographic before the big three of the 2000s. There’s a lot of casual manga fans in Japan, which contrasts with comics being nerdy in the west. Honestly, as a guy who loves playing sports, hates watching them, but loves reading manga, it’s probably gonna end up being one of my favorite genres of manga. Also another sports manga that I heard was like Slam Dunk was Rookies For other sports manga, I heard that Captain Tsubasa was more about the character becoming a professional unlike most of them that end in high school, Haikyuu for telling a modernized standard sports manga, and Cross Game/Touch/Blue Box for a romantic sports manga. I’ve actually read Blue Box, and it’s really good

[@KMakoENVtuber]

This needs a few more zeroes on that 1.8k view count, king.

[@mugenbop]

Thanks man I appreciate you watching :)

[@alexanderhandwerker9760]

mugen should make a whole series about him improving his shots😂

[@andagean]

This easily the best review for the manga on KZbin. Highlighted the right things gave some history but went over the series strengths without spoiling much for those not aware of why Slam Dunk is great. Strangely a lot of people seem to think spoiling the manga’s ending is no big deal?

[@mugenbop]

Yeah I think people love how the ending is handled,that they think it’s a selling point for non-readers. I’m glad it had that effect :)

[@numbgirlcrybby]

Before one chooses the life of the samurai one must conquer basketball heheh

[@mugenbop]

It’s the hardest for sure

[@numbgirlcrybby]

@@mugenbop defo lol ur editing looks so cool btw keep the vids coming man 👍🏽💖

[@uuh4yj43]

the reason i got into sports and much later went to college and now work in sports rehab is bc of slam dunk! i spent three years of high school training just to get my very first slam dunk in my third year!

[@Shohoku00]

The greatest Sports Manga and my favorite out of any. When I read it it surprised how much from Haikyuu was inspired by it but what really shocked me (in a good way) is the rivalry between Sakuragi and Rukawa and how much it influenced other iconic ones like Naruto/Sasuke.

[@jupuxfrudgaming7103]

slam dunk is one of my favourite manga common mugen w

[@SOA_yt]

12:51 this rukawa face is always so funny every time i see it lmao

[@idklol-ty2yk]

Dude, you are very underrated. Don't give up.

[@Awsomeguy145]

Good video

[@annie-sc]

I love Slam Dunk! Mitsui is my childhood anime crush ❤😂

[@samf.s.7731]

Awwweee that's so sweet! 😊

[@Irrelevant66]

He’s not an MVP by any means but Rui Hachimura is a current nba star that plays for the Lakers from Japan who has cited Slam Dunk as one of his initial inspirations to become a basketball player

[@mugenbop]

Huge respect for that man 👏🏼

[@bluebu2002]

I don't even think my arms would be strong enough to throw the ball that far man 😭

[@jotarokujo7111]

I grew up on slam dunk so anything with slamdunk makes me happy lol

[@mugenbop]

You were so lucky my guy :)

[@newtonnote1358]

I will say it till i die, Slam dunk deserves the FMA Brotherhood treatment, a full remake that finishes the story and copies the manga's pace.

[@bastardog7998]

there's this one hilarious meme here in the philippines where Kogure shoots the 3 pointer in Monday then goes in on Friday.😂🤣

[@Youngcl77]

Even after 20 years, I cry every time when Mitsui got down on his knees pour his heart out for basketball, when Sakuragi loses to Kainan, when Sakuragi high five Rukawa!

[@ytclux]

im a little late to this video but i just finished slam dunk and it was amazaing i enjoyed every single chapter and im slo glad i gave it a chance there is 1 bad thing about it and that is that there arent any more chapters

[@TStizzle19]

Id recommend Hajime No Ippo as another sports manga (and anime). My personal favorite

[@geraldlamsenambasan292]

When I was a teenager Slam Dunk is being televised around 8AM and every after an episode I pick up my ball and head straight to the court seeing my friends who also watch the episode in tv hahahaha

[@geraldlamsenambasan292]

Can anyone tell me the title of that melody played in 14:28. Please tell me the title of that melody.

[@SOA_yt]

The outro should be called a moaning compilation lmao your friend really felt those misses hahaha

[@crystalpeaches7825]

i grew up with ru ka wa ru ka wa l o v e ru ka wa so every time i see this anime or hear its ost i just go back to a time when everything was simpler

[@PlayfulPinoyGamer]

Slam Dunk is popular in China and the Philippines btw.

[@samf.s.7731]

Oh it's clear that Sakuragi and Rukawa inspired Naruto and Sasuke... No question about it. Yes, Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan are, in a very bizarre and convoluted way, Naruto and Sasuke Which is awesome LOL.

[@angelacevedo9348]

Rui Hachimura plays in the NBA on the LA Lakers and he cuyes Slam Dunk as his inspiration to play basketball

[@mugenbop]

We did it. 💪🏼

[@gattsudon]

19:03 cant have this part blasting on the tv LMAOOO

[@mugenbop]

seems legit ;)

[@shinaniganz4453]

Ik it's a different anime, but haikyuu does made me to try volleyball. I used to avoid it and by that ended up sitting watching while everyone else is playing. Now I can say yes and play with my friends

[@nevergonnagiveupuntilibeco5690]

Goated Sports Manga/Anime

[@michh_el_]

❤❤❤

[@Belbecat]

Me: I hate dumb, arrogant, selfish, annoying, stubborn joke characters Also me: I fkn love Sakuragi Hanamichi who is the most dumb arrogant selfish annoying stubborn joke character of all time Inoue is truly magic in art form.

[@KonHiwatariKyouyama]

"I chose the shonen Slam Dunk to be my relaxing manga when I hip in bed and get all snug " oh boy I did that multiple times and I couldn't sleep until 4 am on a week day because the adrenaline kept me awake,I couldn't stop reading. This manga is that good.

[@turtleanton6539]

How many parts are there

[@mugenbop]

parts?

[@NathanBall18]

Rui hachimura got into bball cos of slam dunk he plays for lakers

[@ykitsmo]

anyone know the name of the song mugen uses for act 2?

[@mugenbop]

I tried to look for you but I could not find the song my guy I am sorry :3

[@g-man2865]

I know it's kinda late but it's Remember summer days by Anri but a speedup version

[@Martial21396]

Hajime no ippo and slam dunk are my favourite sports manga

[@thomasffrench3639]

What is crazy is that they were released within the same year.

[@Martial21396]

@@thomasffrench3639 fr

[@stuckerfan2563]

Takehiko actually makes another basketball manga named real which focuses on wheelchair basketball

[@mugenbop]

I can’t wait to read that next :)

[@LJkiller]

I gotta read Slam Dunk...

[@mugenbop]

Trust me.

[@chichai_archive]

14:55 HAHAHAHAHAHAHA yea, same

[@mugenbop]

👊🏻

[@basil1306]

nice

[@behg_sam]

Dude did not pay attention to the shooting practice arc😂

[@mugenbop]

Wat do you mean? :o

[@mugenbop]

Never mind I just got it haha cheers 😅

[@stopputin2541]

the greatest drama in the world

[@cognittie930]

REAL is absolutely calling your name because it's basically Inoue's evolution of the "true passion' in the form of wheelchair basketball. And, well, what it takes to succeed when you really are a "loser" who can't even achieve "normal" things, let alone what you are passionate about. I mean, imagine jumping out of your chair because of a wheelchair basketball 3-pointer... there's a longer journey to get there, and it's just as exciting as normal basketball. REAL is neck and neck with Vagabond for me at the moment. Feels like Inoue at his wisest.

[@mugenbop]

Dw it’s been on the list for awhile and it’s almost time to start :)

[@chrispolo25]

Best sports manga for sure 💯 the best! 🏀🏆 Probably the most realistic masterpiece along with Tomorrow’s Joe 🥊

[@mb17181]

is it better to read or watch

[@mugenbop]

read for sure :)

[@whocares8576]

Read the manga then watch the movie

[@markt47]

My brother actually read Dear Boys back then. He said it was good. 😂😂😂 but i never read it.

[@mugenbop]

I'll add it to the list :3

[@rezon5752]

My favorite sports manga after Ashita no Joe

[@mugenbop]

I’ll get round to that soon :)

[@rezon5752]

@@mugenbop It's worth it, Joe is one of my favorite protagonists in the manga

[@peterkelnerxd7009]

9:56 dude, you missed the whole frame

[@mugenbop]

Sure did :)

[@Col_watermelon]

Try tomorrow joe

[@feasoroftorts]

Everyone go watch the new 2022 movie "The First Slam Dunk" 💯💯💯

[@ACE-rx9yq]

"try men"🤣🤣🤣

[@a_5yyal]

3:54 We want balls💀

[@mugenbop]

its true.

[@Marcusmanca]

fuck it you sell me on this i will give it a try

[@jasm361]

no....Hajimeno ippo?

[@mugenbop]

You tell me why?

[@mrbojangles155]

Watched bluelock and wasnt impressed. Don't think sports anime is for me and slam dunk doesn't seem any more interesting lol

[@mugenbop]

Nah mate slam dunk manga is a gold mine

[@thisrandomdude_]

they seem to be polar opposites from everyone's descriptions, give it a proper go first mate

[@misingtorenti4092]

hajime no ippo>>

[@mugenbop]

Mmmmmmm :3

[@peterkelnerxd7009]

Yeah, Slam Dunk portrays the sport totally realistically, but it's abnormal how stupid Sakuragi is

[@mugenbop]

Hey man delinquents be that way, i didn’t know the rules about the key in basketball until I read this :)

[@chrispolo25]

Have you watched or follow NBA a long time? Dennis Rodman is be like that 💯, except for getting rejected by 50 girls 😂

[@uuh4yj43]

​@@chrispolo25 rodman is 500% crazier than sakuragi tho

[@chrispolo25]

@@uuh4yj43 agreed 😂💯

[@kami_beatz5795]

you keep disising haikyuu into other sports manga which is really dumb

[@mugenbop]

How so?